Machine for forming highway markers in situ



April 23, 1963 c. 1. PERRY, JR

MACHINE FOR FORMING HIGHWAY MARKERS IN SITU Filed Dec. 28, 1959INVENTOR. 61 /4194 5 f. PBPPK/Q United States Patent 3,086,431 MACHINEFOR FORMING HIGHWAY MARKERS IN SITU Charles I. Perry, Jr., 115 NewMontgomery St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Dec. 28, 1959, Ser. No.862,154 2 Claims. (CI. 94-39) My invention is especially concerned witha device for furnishing highway markers such as lane bottons ordelineators on the surface of a highway to show margins or boundaries orother specific localities.

At present it is customary to afford a large number of indicating markson highway surfaces usually by providing a paint stripe or the like. Insome instances, particularly in towns, it is customary to mark theboundaries of pedestrain lanes or vehicular traflic lanes by means ofprefabricated discs or plates which are put on or in the material of thepavement and are held in place either by fastenings such as lag bolts orby adhesives or the like. There are some advantages but a number ofdifficulties attendant upon each of the various presently known ways ofmarking highways and roadways.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a machine foraffixing and providing highway markers by forming such markers in placeor in situ on the highway, thus dispensing with the need for any specialadhesive or fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for forminghighway marking buttons in situ so that it is not necessary to preformthe markers, to maintain stocks thereof, to haul them from place toplace, to deal with or account for surplus markers or to provideprealignment and locating maneuvers.

Another object the invention is in general to provide a machine whichwill mark a highway in a permanent fashion, i.e. with a raised markerreadily visible and which can be accomplished for virtually any lineardimension and in any location within a relatively short time.

Another object of the invention is in general to provide an improvedmachine for forming highway markers in situ.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine which isvirtually automatic in its operation and can maneuver continuously toprovide appropriate highway markers in situ.

While the machine of the invention can be embodied in a widely variantnumber of forms, depending on surrounding circumstances, it can easilybe incorporated in the form described in the accompanying descriptionand shown in the accompanying drawings. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine pursuant to theinvention, certain portions being broken away to disclose the interiorconstruction and most of the showing being diagrammatic;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail on a longitudinal section through amarker form incorporated in the marker form wheel disclosed in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation with a portion of the machine frame brokenaway of a modified form of marker mold arrangement.

In its preferred form the machine is designed for use on a highway, theupper surface of which is indicated as a straight line 6 and which isthe customary highway surface either of macadarn, concrete, asphalt orcomparable pavement. The machine includes a frame 7 mounted onpneumatically tired wheels 8 and 9 and having any sort of towing device11 so that the wheeled frame can be advanced over the surface of thehighway 6, preferably in a course stradding the desired position for themarkers.

The frame 7 preferably includes a pair of parellel side rails 12 and 13,the near one of which is broken away to disclose the mounting of same ofthe machine elements. The frame is intended to be advanced in thedirection of the arrow 14 in FIGURE 1 so that the wheels 8 are the frontwheels.

Mounted on the frame 7 in the forward portion thereof is a mechanism forpreparing the surface of the highway or roadway 6. This mechanismincorporates primarily a brush 16, conveniently a rotatable brush havingan axle 17 from which a number of radial bristles project. The axle 17is mounted in swing arms 18 connected by a pivot means 19 to the frame7. A chain 21 interconnects the axle 17 of the bristle brush with adriving motor 22 mounted on the frame.

When the arms are swung downwardly, as shown in FIGURE 1, the bristlesof the brush 16 contact the surface of the pavement and when the motor22 is energized, the bristles revolve, thereby cleaning the surface andeven abrading some superficial portions thereof, if necessary, to afforda clean, receptive area for a marker. When the arms 18 are swungupwardly from the position shown in the figure, the brush 16 is liftedfrom the surface and is no longer effective thereon. Preferably, thearms 18 are raised and lowered periodically during the advance of theframe 7 so the successive set locations or sites are prepared in seriesfor the subsequent reception of markers.

Because the brush 116 does not always dispose of all of the materialdislodged by it and in order to insure that the receiving surface isquite clean, there is mounted on the frame 7 behind the brush 16 an airblast mechanism including an air blower 26 suitably driven by a rotatingmeans (not shown) and discharging atmospheric air through a duct 27toward the surface of the highway 6 in order to blow away any loosematerial from the sites or positions being prepared.

On the frame 7 behind the blower mechanism 26 there is mounted a hopper28 of a size and shape to contain a relatively large mass of materialsuitable for forming markers in situ on the surface of the highway.While there is a wide variation in acceptable material, those preferredat the present time include plastics, that is to say, materials whichare freely flowable so that they can be easily charged into the hopper28 and can readily be discharged therefrom. Suitable materials are thosewhich will harden or set within a relatively short time after beingreleased from the hopper 28. Some of the currently available epoxyresins are considered especially suitable for this purpose, particularlythose which are either very light in color or have light-coloredpigments or reflecting materials incorporated therewith.

The hopper 28 is in communication with a pump 29 mounted at the lowerportion of the hopper on the frame 7. Material passing through the pumpdischarges through a duct .31 depending from the pump to a location immediately above the surface of the pavement 6. Preferably, the pump 29is a metering device and can be operated so as to dispense from thehopper 28 a measured or metered or predetermined amount of plasticmaterial, discharging such material through the duct 31 in a discretemass 32 onto the previously prepared site or set position on the surfaceof the pavementfi.

While the mass 32 is discrete in that it touches nothing other than thesubjacent pavement and is deposited in a predetermined amount or volume,it has no particular, fixed outline or configuration. It may, however,have an approximately circular shape in plan when deposited and have aslump approximately as shown in the figure. Conveniently, the meteringpump 29 is operated intermittently so that as the frame 7 advances, thepump is effective to discharge discrete masses 32 in spaced loca- :-formof the finished marker.

7 there is located a molding structure 36. While this can take any oneof several forms, in FIGURE 1 it is disclosed as a wheel 37 mounted onan axle 38 journalled 'in the side beams 12 and 13'of the frame. Thewheel 37 is of a diameter so that it contacts the surface of thehighway- 6. 'In fact, the wheel can be somewhat yieldable or resilienton its periphery and in its mounting so that it is pressed rather firmlyinto-contact with and is slightly flattened in contact with the highway.

Arranged around the periphery of the wheel 37 is a plurality ofindividual molds 39. These can be of any one of a number of differentshapes but conveniently take the form substantially as shown in FIGURE 2of relatively flat discs. Each of the molds 39, for example, hasacircular wall 40 which is tapered inwardly and upwardly to afford draft.The mold is provided, if desired, with a central protuberance toestablish a central depression in the resulting marker. The mold also,in most cases, is not completely closed but preferably has acentral'upwardly extending duct 42 communicating with the .interior ofthe. mold andleading to a discharge opening 43 in the: center of thewheel 37.

The arrangem'entof the molds 39 around the periphery of the wheel-37' issuch that their spacing is appropriate to the distance apart of thepreviously prepared roadway FIGURE 2, the somewhat plastic mass,although partially set when deposited, is shaped by the engagement ofthe rolling mold in contact with it to take on the substantial Anyexcess material is extruded orsqueezed upwardly through the duct 42 from,which it eventually discharges as waste or for reuse. The

duct 42 also permits the easy exhaust or any air which might otherwisebe entrapped inthe mold.

The speed of advance of the frame .7 is such that the molding wheel 37'co'mes'into contact with the previously deposited plastic masses andholds and molds and shapes them for a 'sufiicient time so that as thewheel continues to advance and rolls'off of the mold, a clean separationis made. Any-v extrusion 'into the duct '42 is brokenoif ad- 'jacent thesurface of the projection 41. 'The marker 44, sosdeposited, hasapproximately the solid shape illustrated inFIGURE'2 and is "firmlyadhered to the surface of 'the 'subjac'ent highway, having been formedin the de- "sired location and, since -itis an adhesive plastic, bondingimmediately tothe supporting, subjacent surface.

If necessary, various of the surfaces of the molding wheel37'areapproximately coated'with parting material so that there is nosubstantial adherence between the deposited marker and the wheel or molditself. As the frame advances, it leaves behind the molding wheel 37 ashaped marker, such as 44, from which any protruding or improperlyextending excess material can be quickly removed by hand.

After themolds leave the surface of the highway and as they ascendtoward the upper portion of the wheel, they are'washed out and cleanedby water contained in a tank 46 supported on the frame 7 and dischargingthrough a nozzle 47 into the molds passing therebeneath. The

.water spray not only washes the molds but the drainage therefromtravels downwardly through the duct 42 into the discharge opening 43 toa convenient site for disposal.

If desired, a drive chain 48 can be connected between setting so thattime is conserved. For that reason, a

heater 5 1 is mounted on the frame 7 behind the mold wheel. The heateris usually an oil fired burner supplied with air under forced draft froma blower 52 and includes a housing 53 to direct the products ofcombustion and the radiant heat downwardly onto the previously depositedmarkers 44. In the usual case, by the time the frame 7 has advanced farenough so that the heater 51 has passed over the previously depositedmarkers, the markers are sulficiently firm and set so that they can veryshortly withstand traffic on the highway 6.

With this machine as described, the operator need only keep the machinesupplied and maneuver it in the general direction desired and in theproper location desired. Trailing the machine is a succession of markers44 which have been initially formed exactly in place with a goodadhesion to the supporting surface, and have been properly formed andare hardened or cured or set so that they can withstand the normallyexpected trafiic. The markers stick up from the surface of the highwayfor additional visibility and for impact purposes, are accurately spacedapart, are disposed in a continuous line or curve and are formedinexpensively and economically of labor.

, In some instances, it is desired to replace the form wheel 37 with aform chain as shown in FIGURE 3. In this instance, the structure is thesame as shown in FIG- URE 1 except that the wheel 37 is omitted andthere is produced a pair of drums 56 and 57 mounted on two axles 58 and59 on the frame 7. Around the drums between the side rails 'of the frameis trained a chain or belt 61 having thereon a plurality of molds 62.These are preferably of substantially the same configuration and shapeas the molds shown in FIGURE 2 and can also have one or more of the ventducts 42, included therein. As the frame advances, the belt or chain 61is similarly advanced. A number of the molds 62 thereon aresimultaneously in immediate contact with the pavement. These chainorbelt molds are in contact with the plastic material for a relativelylong time and easily'aiford a more thorough setting of the plasticbefore the mold is dis- Qtherwise, the operation of the FIGURE 3 deviceis substantially the same as that of FIGURE 2. In both instances thereis provided an improved machine for forming highway markers in 'situ.

What is claimed is: I I l. A machine for forming a'marker on a highwaycom- "prising a wheeled frame adapted to be advanced on the surface ofsaid highway, means on said frame for first depositing on said highwaysurface as'said frame adva n'c'es' thereover a succession of spaceddeposits of measured quantities of plastic material, a mold, means onsaid frame for then lowering said mold into and raising said mold out ofmomentarily stationary molding engagement with said deposits on saidhighway during and in synchronisrn with the advance of said frame onsaid highway.

2. A machine for forming a marker on'a highway comprising a frameadapted to be advanced over the high- 'way in a predetermined direction,means on said frame for holding plastic material, means for depositingdiscrete :meas ured' quantities of said plastic material from saidholding means onto said highway beneath the forward portion of saidframe, means for actuating said depositing means intimedsequence duringthe advance of said frame to deposit said discrete measured quantitiesof plastic on said highway in spaced apart discrete bodies, a pluralityof molds, means for mounting said molds on said frame behind saiddepositing means, and means for moving said molds intimed relationshipwith said actuating means first in a lowering direction into a positionmomentarily stationary relative to said highway and in moldingengagement with respective ones of said spaced apart discrete ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Smales July 2,1907 Kloepping June 13, 1922 6 Thomson Mar. 18, 1930 Kremmling et alJuly 23, 1940 Teichmann June 12, 1951 Peebles Sept. 18, 1956 Massey Nov.19, 1957 Mazzocco June 10, 1958 Woellwarth June 14, 1960

1. A MACHINE FOR FORMING A MARKER ON A HIGHWAY COMPRISING A WHEELEDFRAME ADAPTED TO BE ADVANCED ON THE SURFACE OF SAID HIGHWAY, MEANS ONSAID FRAME FOR FIRST DEPOSITING ON SAID HIGHWAY SURFACE AS SAID FRAMEADVANCES THEREOVER A SUCCESSION OF SPACED DEPOSITS OF MEASUREDQUANTITIES OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, A MOLD, MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR THENLOWERING SAID MOLD INTO AND RAISING SAID MOLD OUT OF MOMENTARILYSTATIONARY MOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DEPOSITS ON SAID HIGHWAY DURINGAND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE ADVANCE OF SAID FRAME ON SAID HIGHWAY.